The Class of 2019

Trista Hevey

Director of MBA Alumni & Corporate Relations, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst; Age 36; Education: Elms College (BA), Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst (MBA)

How do you define success? Achieving clearly established goals, even though the path may not have been the smoothest. It’s the overall journey that makes the success so sweet. It’s that feeling of having never given up. Success does not have to be my greatest achievements, either, but instead those moments that make me the most proud. It’s a state of positive energy and confirmation that what I was hoping to achieve actually occurred.

What three words best describe you? Committed, positive, team-oriented.

What goal do you set for yourself at the start of each day? Life is hectic, and you need to prioritize what matters most in that moment. You cannot be perfect at everything, but you can strive to give those items during the day your maximum attention.

What are you passionate about? Being a positive role model for my 7-year-old daughter, Callie. I strive to teach her about hard work and determination. I want her to know she can in fact make a positive change in her community and leave a mark on this world. A solid educational foundation and empathy go a long way. I never stop learning and always try to instill those values in her. The youth are our future, and we need more powerhouse women stepping up to the table.

Who has been your best mentor, and why? I really shouldn’t admit this to him, but my husband, Tom. He gives me the honest feedback I don’t want to hear, but need to. He pushes me to become a better person personally and professionally. He challenges me to view or try things in a different way. He is the first person I call when faced with a tough decision. He is calm during turbulent times and knows that, in the end, things will work out exactly as they should. This makes the structured planner in me crazy. He lives life with no instruction manual, and that’s a good balance in our relationship.

What will work colleagues say at your funeral? I hope they’d say I’ve lived my life to its fullest potential — that I gave 110% in every way and never let an obstacle keep me down for long. They’d probably also joke that this would be the first time I wasn’t going non-stop in a hundred different directions.

 

Photography by Leah Martin Photography